Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

Dare to practice with me?

Practice?

Pikachu straightened its expression and patted Ash to signal him to let it pass.

Xiao Zhi scratched his head and gave a word of advice.

Pikachu waved its paw and landed lightly, standing firmly on its feet.

It dared not be arrogant in front of Xiaozhi.

But compared to Fast Fist Man... he could be considered a "veteran boxing enthusiast"!

It had just copied the other's behavior, adopting a relaxed and casual stance, ready to teach it a lesson.

A deep, steady shout came from afar.

"Stop it, Fast Fist Bro!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

There was a man dressed in a gray martial arts uniform with a black belt around his waist.

A middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a resolute face and short hair, strode over.

He glanced at Quick-Punch Man's opponent—a dry, brittle electric mouse.

He then shook his head at Quick Fist with extreme disappointment, his brow furrowed.

"You've really made something of yourself!" His voice was deep and resonant, with a hint of admonition. "How have I taught you?"

"Practicing martial arts is for the purpose of strengthening the body and tempering the will."

He took a few steps closer, his gaze stern.

"How can it be used to bully the weak and provoke the innocent?"

After a pause, the man glanced at Pikachu and spoke with even more emphasis.

"Especially since the other party is... and it's a Pokémon like Pikachu, it's utterly shameful!"

After all, everyone knows that Pikachu is the most famous mascot in the Kanto region.

Aside from being cute and attractive, and capable of generating electricity, their combat abilities are... well, hard to describe.

Fighting a Pikachu?

Isn't this blatant bullying of honest people?

Pikachu: "???"

What is a Pokémon like Pikachu?

"Yebi!"

Upon hearing this, Quick Fist Man's body trembled.

He immediately abandoned all aggressive postures, stood up respectfully, bowed deeply to the uncle, and gave a short response.

It indicates that one acknowledges their mistake.

It then turned to Pikachu, bowed its head again, and solemnly clashed its fists together.

"Yebi, Yebi!"

This time, my spiritual practice is still inadequate, and my mind is unstable. I became attached to appearances after just a few words!

I'm so sorry!

Upon seeing this, the uncle's expression softened slightly, and his stern gaze eased a bit.

Only then did they turn their attention to Ash and his two companions.

He glanced at him briefly, then automatically ignored the somewhat effeminate blond-haired boy.

The gazes were mainly drawn to Xiao Gang and Xiao Zhi, who looked muscular and showed signs of exercise.

"You two, are you also here to participate in the martial arts tournament?"

His tone softened somewhat, but it still carried a scrutinizing quality.

"I'm not."

Xiao Gang shook his head; he wasn't very interested in a match where a bunch of grown men were fighting hand-to-hand.

If it were elegant older women... then it would be a different story.

"It's me! It's me! I've been waiting for this for so long!"

Xiao Zhi straightened his chest and spoke loudly.

The man nodded, his gaze sweeping over the Pikachu again, and said earnestly to Ash.

"Young man, it's good to have enthusiasm."

"But the martial arts tournament, especially close combat which prohibits all ranged means, is no child's play."

"This place brings together top fighters from Kanto, Johto, and even further afield, making the competition extremely fierce."

He paused, then his expression turned serious.

"Even a man like me, after years of hard work, only made it to the top sixteen in the last tournament."

"Your Pikachu...maybe it's good at electric moves, but what about hand-to-hand combat?"

He shook his head, his tone carrying a kind of admonition.

"You should go home and practice your basic skills more thoroughly."

After saying that, he said no more.

He gestured to Quick Fist Boy, then continued walking along the road with it.

......

"Top 16...that sounds amazing!"

Instead of being discouraged, Ash became even more excited.

"But we're pretty strong too, right, Pikachu?"

"Pickup!"

Pikachu also waved its little fist, feeling a bit resentful at being underestimated earlier.

Xiao Gang, standing to the side, crossed his arms and slowly shook his head as he watched the man leave.

He felt that the competition wasn't as prestigious as Xiaozhi had imagined.

After all, none of the top 16 looked familiar to me... so it seems that apart from two relatively well-known figures, they're not all that impressive.

The three continued on their way and finally arrived at their destination.

A sprawling resort built against the mountain came into view.

The white-walled, red-tiled buildings are scattered in a staggered manner on the gentle slope, and in the distance, you can see the training ground and the wisps of steam rising from the open-air hot spring.

Even on the morning of the first day of the tournament, many trainers had already gathered at the entrance to register.

The sounds of people and Pokémon were mixed together, creating a lively atmosphere.

At the entrance, a striking red banner hangs above the gate, bearing the bold characters "World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament," fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.

After a simple registration and verification of the Pokédex information, Ash was guided by staff to the preliminary test location.

Only those who pass the preliminary test will be eligible to participate in the official competition.

The initial pilot site was set up under a spacious canopy on the side of the main building.

There stood a heavy, industrial-looking gray machine, with a huge punching bag covered in black leather and bearing obvious signs of being hit in the center.

"The preliminary test was simple and straightforward."

The staff member who guided them there, dressed in the conference's uniform short-sleeved shirt, pointed to the machine and explained in a flat voice.

"To qualify for the competition, you must punch this specialized measuring machine with your fist and achieve a reading of 300 kilograms. Each person has three chances."

"300 kilograms is the minimum...?"

Xiao Zhi nodded thoughtfully, then stared intently at the machine.

Sure enough, even the preliminary test was this rigorous!

It must be 300, no more and no less!

This is a test of my self-control!

He walked to the machine, took a deep breath, planted his feet firmly on the ground, bent his knees slightly, lowered his waist and hips, and assumed a standard and solid horse stance.

His right fist was drawn back to his waist, his muscles slowly tensing, ready to challenge his strength—

"Pfft—Hahahaha!"

A familiar laugh came from the side, laced with undisguised mockery.

blond hair, spiky hair.

It exudes sophistication.

Who else could it be but Xiao Mao?

He walked over with his hands in his pockets and a somewhat cynical smile on his face.

"Hey~ isn't that Ash Ketchum?"

His gaze swept over the punching machine, then fell back on Ash's ready-to-punch fist, his smile deepening.

"What, you don't intend to punch this with your fist, do you?"

"That's hilarious! This is a Pokémon Martial Arts Tournament, not a tournament where you're asked to turn yourself into a Pokémon!"

"Move aside, let me show you!"

With that, Shigeru flicked his wrist, and a Poké Ball was already between his fingers. He threw it smoothly, sending it flying in an arc.

"Come out, you monkey monster!"

A flash of white light appeared.